Published December 9, 2022, in my The Bold Italic column:
Mourad Lahlou’s Mourad is the best upscale modern Moroccan restaurant I’ve been to in the U.S., bar none. Mourad’s visionary Cal-Moroccan cuisine, a more upscale sibling to his long-beloved, more casual Aziza, has been a trailblazer in that category since he opened it in San Francisco’s Richmond District in 2001 (my full review here).
Just after I wrote this review, California Michelin stars were announced earlier this week, and I am puzzled as to why Mourad would lose its Michelin star of multiple years, especially given the tighter-than-ever service, drink pairings and dishes I experienced there last week. When not one but three dishes leave a deep impression, that already is well above the average. I’ll explain.
Article here: https://medium.com/@virginiamiller_29308/visionary-cal-moroccan-at-mourad-sf-9c2188a2c1be
Previous Bold Italic Restaurant reviews:
— Roman Pinsa Multiplies in SF
— November Eats Checklist: 7 Standouts of the Month
— Playful Neighborhood Comfort from Michelin-Starred Team
— Chef & Bar Masters Work Their Magic at The New Line Hotel SF
— 10 Years In: Celebrating One of the Best Restaurants in the Nation
— October Eats Checklist: 6 Standouts of the Month
— There Is A Time for Modern French Fare
— Two-Year-Old Neighborhood Michelin Revamped on Precita Park
— House Pasta & Caviar to A5 Charcuterie Decadence in SoMa
— One Year In: Creative NorCal Japanese
— An SF Brewery’s Playful Take on SF-Style Seafood & Historic SF Dishes
— September Eats Checklist: 6 Standouts of the Month
— Food with a View in Half Moon Bay
— Purity On the Plate & In the Glass at a Reborn Modern Classic
— Hayes Valley’s Buzzy New Neighborhood Hang
— Vietnamese Food Haven (with Cocktails)
— August Eats Checklist: 6 Standout Newcomers
— Upscale Chinese with a View in SF Chinatown
— New, Blissful Temple to Seafood in the Mission
— From Louisiana to Jordan, One Restaurant Showcases Rotating Global Chefs in SF
— (Yet Another) Pizza Destination
— New Neighborhood Standout Where Dinner & Dessert Shine
— July Eats Checklist: 6 Standout Newcomers & New Menus
— An Ode to Japanese Wagyu… Sans the Steak
— Chinese Fine Dining Unlike Anywhere Else
— Sonoma County Vegan from Three Michelin Team
— Our #1 New Restaurant of 2021, Over 1 Year In
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— One of the Best Restaurants to Come Out of 2020 from Chef & Pastry Masters
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— Among the Best Moroccan Food in the Country
— This New Sushi Club Is for Nigiri Fanatics & Novices Alike
— SF’s Only & Most Authentic Portuguese Restaurant
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— The Bay Area’s Best Indonesian Restaurants Is In … Redwood City